KMIR-TV

KMIR-TV is a television station licensed to Palm Springs, California, and serving the Coachella Valley. The station operates as the market's NBC affiliate and identifies its consumer-facing service as NBC Palm Springs. Its broadcast signal uses virtual channel 36, while its programming has also historically been distributed through local cable systems, including a long-standing channel 6 identity. The station's principal studios are on Parkview Drive in Palm Desert, alongside those of KPSE-LD, while Entravision's other Spanish-language and independent outlets in the market operate from separate facilities. KMIR's transmitter is located on Edom Hill in Cathedral City. The station began broadcasting on September 15, 1968, becoming the first television station to serve the Coachella Valley. It launched on analog UHF channel 36 and has been affiliated with NBC from its inception. Its original owner was actor John Conte, operating through Desert Empire TV Corporation. The KMIR call letters were derived from the El Mirador hotel in Palm Springs, which Conte owned. The former hotel site is now occupied by Desert Regional Medical Center, and a broadcasting tower associated with the original location remains a local historical landmark. The original transmission structure was destroyed by fire in 1989; the current structure is a replica of the earlier tower. Journal Communications acquired the station from Conte in 1999. The transaction gave KMIR a larger corporate owner while retaining its NBC affiliation and local-news role. KMIR marked its fortieth anniversary in 2008. Journal later agreed to sell the station to OTA Broadcasting for $17 million, with the transaction closing on January 1, 2014. This made KMIR OTA Broadcasting's first station affiliated with one of the four major U.S. broadcast networks. The station's branding and distribution have been shaped by the unusually high level of cable penetration in the Palm Springs market. For many years, KMIR promoted its cable position rather than its over-the-air digital channel, at times using a channel 6 identity. A 2013 retransmission-consent dispute with Time Warner Cable temporarily removed Journal's stations from the cable system. KMIR remained available for part of the dispute under rules concerning full-power stations and the television ratings period, and its evening newscasts were temporarily simulcast by KRET-CA. A settlement returned KMIR and related stations to the system in September 2013, with KMIR moving to cable channel 13. The station subsequently dropped the channel 6 branding. Entravision Communications announced its acquisition of KMIR and KPSE-LD in 2017. The $21 million transaction closed on November 1 of that year, making KMIR part of Entravision's broader cluster of English- and Spanish-language television properties in the market. On September 16, 2018, the station adopted the NBC Palm Springs brand in connection with its fiftieth anniversary, while continuing to use KMIR-TV as its legal call sign. KMIR's principal output is local news, weather, public-affairs coverage, and NBC network programming. It broadcasts approximately 28 hours of locally produced news each week and produces additional programming for sister station KPSE-LD, including a 10 p.m. newscast. The news operation broadcasts in 1080i high definition and covers major local events, community issues, and high-school football despite not maintaining a separate sports department. The station generally ranks second in the Palm Springs television market's Nielsen news ratings. In late 2023, it described a shift toward community-oriented reporting and audience-service storytelling, with less emphasis on crime and low-impact stories. In 2018, the station received a Golden Mic for best newscast in Southern California.

KMIR-TV began broadcasting on September 15, 1968, as the first television station established in California's Coachella Valley. Licensed to Palm Springs and assigned UHF channel 36, it launched as an NBC affiliate and has retained that network relationship throughout its history. The station was founded by actor John Conte through Desert Empire TV Corporation. Conte also owned the El Mirador hotel in Palm Springs, and the station's call letters were derived from the hotel's name. The former hotel property is now the site of Desert Regional Medical Center. A tower associated with the original transmission site remains in front of the hospital, although the original structure was destroyed by fire in 1989 and later replaced by a replica. KMIR was acquired by Journal Communications in 1999. During Journal's ownership, the station continued to operate as the principal NBC service for the Palm Springs market and developed a substantial local-news operation. It celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2008. Journal reached an agreement in October 2013 to sell KMIR to OTA Broadcasting for $17 million. The sale closed on January 1, 2014, and KMIR became OTA's first station affiliated with one of the major U.S. broadcast networks. The station's distribution history reflects the importance of cable television in the Palm Springs area. Because cable penetration in the market was exceptionally high, KMIR for many years emphasized a cable channel identity, including branding connected with channel 6, rather than focusing on its over-the-air digital position. In 2013, a retransmission-consent disagreement between Journal Communications and Time Warner Cable affected KMIR and other Journal stations. KMIR remained on the system for a limited period after a low-power sister station had been removed, reflecting rules governing full-power stations during the television sweeps period. After the station was ultimately pulled at the end of that period, its evening newscasts were carried temporarily by KRET-CA. The dispute ended in September 2013 with a new carriage agreement. KMIR returned on standard-definition cable channel 13, and the station later removed the channel 6 reference from its branding. On July 21, 2017, Entravision Communications announced an agreement to acquire KMIR and KPSE-LD for $21 million. The purchase closed on November 1. Under Entravision, KMIR became part of a local station group that also included Spanish-language Univision and UniMás affiliates and an independent/MyNetworkTV outlet. KMIR and KPSE share studios on Parkview Drive in Palm Desert, while Entravision's other Coachella Valley facilities are located on Corporate Way. KMIR's transmitter is situated on Edom Hill in Cathedral City. The station marked its fiftieth anniversary in 2018 by adopting the NBC Palm Springs brand. The KMIR-TV call sign remains the station's formal identity, while NBC Palm Springs is used as the consumer-facing brand. Its programming combines NBC network content with local news, weather, public-affairs coverage, community features, and selected regional sports coverage. The station produces about 28 hours of local news weekly and also supplies a 10 p.m. newscast for KPSE. Newscasts are produced in 1080i high definition, including field video. KMIR does not maintain a dedicated sports department, but its news team covers major sporting events and gives particular attention to local high-school football during the season. The news operation has generally ranked second in Nielsen ratings for the Palm Springs market. In 2018, KMIR received a Golden Mic for best newscast in Southern California. In late 2023, the station said it was adjusting its editorial approach toward community issues, explanatory storytelling, and material with direct value to its audience, while reducing the proportion of crime reports and low-impact stories. Fred Roggin joined the station's programming with The Roggin Report in January 2024. Through its NBC affiliation, local reporting, and digital presence, KMIR remains an important broadcast brand for the Coachella Valley.

1. 2024The Roggin Report launches

   Fred Roggin began hosting The Roggin Report on January 2.

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2. 2018NBC Palm Springs brand introduced

   KMIR adopted the NBC Palm Springs identity during its fiftieth-anniversary year.

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3. 2017Entravision acquisition completed

   Entravision completed its acquisition of KMIR and KPSE-LD on November 1.

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4. 2014OTA Broadcasting ownership begins

   OTA Broadcasting completed its purchase of KMIR on January 1.

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5. 2008Fortieth anniversary

   The station celebrated 40 years of broadcasting in the Coachella Valley.

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6. 1999Journal Communications acquisition

   Journal Communications purchased KMIR from its original ownership group.

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7. 1989Original transmission tower destroyed by fire

   A fire destroyed the original tower associated with KMIR's early transmission site; a replica structure stands at the location today.

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8. 1968First Coachella Valley television station begins broadcasting

   KMIR launched on September 15 as the first television station serving the Coachella Valley and began its continuing affiliation with NBC.

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A locally focused NBC affiliate serving the Coachella Valley, combining network entertainment and news programming with regional weather, community reporting, and audience-service journalism.

• NBC Palm Springs local newsLocal television news1968

  KMIR's core local product is its Palm Springs and Coachella Valley news operation. It provides scheduled newscasts, breaking-news coverage, weather, community reporting, public-affairs material, and selected coverage of local events. The operation produces approximately 28 hours of news each week and distributes its broadcasts in full 1080i high definition.

• NBC network programmingBroadcast television1968

  As the Coachella Valley's NBC affiliate, KMIR carries programming supplied by the NBC network alongside locally produced content. The network relationship dates to the station's launch and is a central part of the station's identity and distribution proposition.

• KMIR News at 10:00 on KPSE My TVLocal television news2014

  KMIR produces a late-evening newscast for sister station KPSE-LD. The program extends the station's local-news output beyond its NBC schedule and gives the Entravision station group an additional local news window.

• The Roggin ReportNews and commentary2024

  The Roggin Report is a named station feature hosted by Fred Roggin. It debuted in January 2024 and forms part of KMIR's regional reporting and personality-led programming.

• 2018NBC Palm Springs fiftieth-anniversary rebrand

  Palm Springs · Coachella Valley

  KMIR marked its fiftieth anniversary by shifting its public-facing identity to NBC Palm Springs while retaining the KMIR-TV call sign. The branding linked the station more directly to its NBC affiliation and geographic service area.

  Outcome. The NBC Palm Springs identity became the station's principal consumer-facing brand.

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• 2023Shift toward community-focused newsStrategy

  The station assessed its local-news mix and audience-service role in the Coachella Valley.

  What changed. Beginning in late 2023, KMIR placed greater emphasis on community issues and storytelling intended to serve viewers, while reducing coverage of crime and low-impact stories.

  Aftermath. The change positioned the news operation around more locally relevant and audience-centered reporting.

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• 2017Entravision acquisition of KMIR and KPSE-LDM&A

  Entravision sought to expand its Coachella Valley television group with an English-language NBC affiliate and an additional local station.

  What changed. Entravision agreed to acquire KMIR and KPSE-LD for $21 million and completed the transaction on November 1.

  Aftermath. KMIR became part of an Entravision cluster that also included Spanish-language and independent television outlets in the market.

  acquisition price. $21 million (announced July 2017; completed November 1, 2017)

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• 2014Sale from Journal Communications to OTA BroadcastingM&A

  Journal Communications agreed to sell KMIR as part of a broader station-ownership transaction.

  What changed. OTA Broadcasting acquired KMIR for $17 million, with the sale closing on January 1.

  Aftermath. KMIR became OTA Broadcasting's first station affiliated with one of the four major U.S. broadcast networks.

  acquisition price. $17 million (announced October 2013; completed January 1, 2014)

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• 2013Retraction of channel 6 branding after cable realignmentOther

  KMIR had historically emphasized its cable channel position because of the market's unusually high cable penetration. A carriage dispute and subsequent agreement moved the station's standard-definition service to cable channel 13.

  What changed. The station dropped the channel 6 reference from its logo and branding and returned to a simpler call-letter-based identity.

  Aftermath. KMIR no longer occupied channel 6 on Coachella Valley cable and satellite systems.

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• 2024The Roggin Report debuted

  Fred Roggin began hosting The Roggin Report on January 2, adding a named local or regional reporting feature to the station's programming.

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• 2018KMIR rebranded as NBC Palm Springs

  The station adopted the NBC Palm Springs identity on September 16, coinciding with its fiftieth anniversary.

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• 2017Entravision announced acquisition of KMIR and KPSE-LD

  Entravision Communications agreed to acquire KMIR and KPSE-LD for $21 million, expanding its Coachella Valley station group.

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• 2017Entravision completed purchase of KMIR

  The Entravision transaction closed on November 1, making KMIR sister to KEVC-CD, KVER-CD, and other Entravision properties in the region.

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• 2014KMIR became OTA Broadcasting's first Big Four affiliate

  OTA Broadcasting completed its acquisition of KMIR on January 1, following an announced $17 million deal with Journal Communications.

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• 2013KMIR was temporarily removed from Time Warner Cable

  A retransmission-consent dispute removed Journal stations from Time Warner Cable systems at the end of the ratings period. KMIR's newscasts were temporarily simulcast by KRET-CA during the dispute.

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• 2013KMIR returned to Time Warner Cable after carriage agreement

  A settlement restored KMIR and other Journal stations to Time Warner Cable systems, with KMIR moving to standard-definition cable channel 13.

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• 1999Journal Communications acquired KMIR-TV

  Journal Communications purchased KMIR from John Conte's Desert Empire TV Corporation, bringing the Palm Springs NBC affiliate into a larger broadcast group.

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1. KMIR-TV
2. NBC Palm Springs official website